Combined cultivating-plow and chopper.



No. 765,401. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904. T. SMITH.

COMBINED CULTIVATING PLOW AND CHOPPER. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1903.

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PATENTED JULY 19,1904.

T. SMITH. COMBINED CULTIVATING PLOW AND CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1903.

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Wilgcsses No. 765,401. I PATENTED JULY 19, 1904. T. SMITH.

COMBINED GULTIVATING PLOW AND CHOPPER.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1. 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SMITH, OF DONALDS, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,401, dated J uly19, 1904,

A lication filed August 1, 1903. Serial No. 167,939. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Donalds, in the county of Abbeville and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Oombined Cultivating-Plow andChopper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved cultivatingplow and chopper, the object ofmy invention being to provide a combined machine which is adapted to beused in cultivating growing plants such as corn, cotton, and the likeand which may be used either for hoeing or chopping the growing plants,plowing them, or plowing and hoeing them at once, hence adapting themachine for all the purposes of cultivating growing crops.

To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of devices hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a combinedcultivatingplow and hoeing or chopping machine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 4: is a detail central sectional view of the plow-frame and itsconnections. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of the same on a plane at right angles to Fig. 4c.

The axle-shaft 1 is provided at one end with a supporting-wheel 2, whichis loose thereon, and at the opposite end with the tractionwheel 3,which is adjustable laterally thereon and secured thereto by a bolt Land a series of adjusting-openings 5, said bolt and said openingsserving to secure said wheel to said axleshaft at any desired adjustmenton the shaft and in such manner that rotary motion of saidtraction-wheel is imparted to said axleshaft. Said traction-wheeLinaddition to the usual peripheral traction-teeth 6, is provided withtraction spur-bolts 7 for engaging the loose soil in a cultivated fieldand insuring rotation of the traction-wheel.

The machine-frame comprises the front section 8, supported on theaxle-shaft, and the roar section 9, which is connected to said frontsection by. the arch bars or yokes 10, which are of the form here shownand bolted to said front and rear sections, as indicated. The usualtongue or draft-pole 11 is provided for the front section of themachine-frame. A hoeing or chopping shaft 12 is disposed longitudinallyand journaled at its rear end in a bearing 13, located centrally underthe front transverse bar 14: of the rear frame-section, and the frontportion of said shaft is journaled and supported in a bearing 15, formedin the lower end of a shifting lever 16, which lever is fulcrumed on abolt 17 in the center of the rear transverse beam 18 of the frontframe-section, and said lever has the usual spring-detent 19 to engagethe usual rack-segment 20 on said beam 18, whereby said lever may besecured at any required position. On the front end of the shaft 12 iskeyed or otherwise firmly secured a beveled pinion 21, which engages abeveled gear-wheel 22, that -is fast on the axle-shaft.

A hoe or chopper 23 of suitable size, form, and construction has its arm2 L disposed at right angles to the shaft 12 and to the line of draft,said arm extending through a transverse opening 25 in said shaft. Aretaining and adjusting spring 26 of suitable length and constructionhas one end secured to the shaft 12, as at 27, and its free end, whichtends to move from said shaft, connected to the inner end of the hoe orchoppeg-arm, as at 28. An adjusting-sleeve 29 is mounted on the shaft 12and adapted to move thereon, and said sleeve engages the said spring 26,the latter passing through a suitable opening in said sleeve, as shownin Fig. 2, and the said sleeve is connected to a hand-lever 30, whichhas its fulcrum 31 on the transverse bar 1a of the rear frame-section bya yoke or strap 32, which is disposed in an annular groove in saidsleeve, and a link 34, which is pivotally connected to said yoke orstrap and to the said lever 30, as shown.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when the machine is inoperation, with its supporting and traction wheel on opposite sides of arow of growing plants and the shaft 12 shifted so as to cause its pinion21 to engage the gear-wheel 22, rotary motion from the axle-shaft willbe transmitted to said shaft 12 and the chopper or hoe, the latter beingcaused to revolve transversely over the row of plants and to chop or hoebetween the plants in the row, or, if said plants are continuous, orpractically continuous, in the row and are too close together, thechopper will serve to chop out intervening plants and leave suitablestands at suitable regular distances apart, the same being predeterminedby the width of the eho1')pinghoe and by the relative proportions of thegears 21 22. By means of the shifting mechanism hereinbefore describedfor throwing the rotary chopper into or out of gear With the driving oraxle shaft the said chopper. may be so adjusted at the beginning of eachrow as to operate between the stands of plants that have been previouslythinned or chopped, as will be readily understood. By moving theadjusting-sleeve 29 forward or back on the shaft 12 by means of thelever 30 and the connections hereinbefore described said sleeve may becaused to move the free end of the spring to ward or from said shaft 12,and hence the chopper or hoe at the outer end of the arm 24 may beadjusted toward or from said shaft 12, and thereby caused to operate atthe required depth in the soil. I/Vhen it is not designed to use thechopping mechanism hereinbefore described, the same may be thrown out ofgear by the lever 16. A seat 35 for the driver is supported in aconvenient position between the levers 16 and 30 on a seatbar 36, whichhas its lower end bolted to one side of the frame 8, as shown.

A rectangular plow-frame 37 is disposed transversely under the rearframe 9 and comprises the front and rear parallel bars 38 and the endand intermediate connecting-blocks 39, secured between said parallelbars by bolts 40, as shown. From the four corners of the plow-frame risevertical guide-rods 41, which pass through and are maintained insuitable openings 42 in the horizontally and rearwardly extended arms 43of the arch-bars 10. Said guide-rods while maintaining the plow-frame inposition under the rear frame 9 permit of the vertical adjustment ofsaid plow-frame. A screw-shaft 44 engages a threaded opening in or a nutattached to the center of the rear frame 9. The upper end of saidscrew-shaft is provided with a hand wheel or crank 45, whereby it may beturned, and the lower end of said shaft is swiveled to the center blockof the plow-frame, as at 46. The function of the said screw-shaft is toraise and lower the plow-frame and to maintain the same in any desiredvertical adjustment, as will be understood.

The parallel bars 38 of the plow-frame constitute the guide ways andsupports for laterally-adjustable plow-blocks 47, which fit between saidbars 38 and are secured thereto against vertical displacement andpermitted to slide thereon by plates 48, which are bolted to the upperand lower sides of said plowblocks and engage the upper and lower sidesof said plow-bars 38, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Plow-stocks 49 aresecured to said plow-blocks 47 in any suitable manner and serve for theattachment of cultivating-shovels or bull-tongues 50, and the upperextended ends of said plow-stocks are adapted to be secured to endlessadjusting-chains 51, as at 52. Said endless chains connectsprocket-wheels 53, which are mounted on two of the guiderods 41, withsprocket-wheels 54, which are fixed on a shaft 55, that has its bearingsin the rear frame 9 and in a bracket 56, bolted to the rear side of theplow-frame. Said shaft 55 has a crank or hand-wheel 57, by means ofwhich it may be rotated, and it will be readily understood that theendless chain Will be operated by the rotation of said shaft 55 andcaused to adjust the plows in the plowframe either toward or from eachother, as may be required,'and hence the said plows may be so adjustedas to operate at any desired distance from the rows of plants.

A hand-lever 58 is fulcrumed on the frame 8 in a line with the centerthereof, as at 59. The lower end of the said lever is forked orbifurcated, as at 60, and provided with cutters 61, which are adapted tooperate in advance of the chopper and to clear away grass, weeds, andother obstructions from the rows.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, witharevoluble shaft, of a radially-adjustable arm, a spring secured to saidshaft and connected to said arm, and an adjusting device for saidspring.

2. In a device of the class described, a revoluble shaft, achopper-carrying arm radially adjustable with relation to said shaft,and spring supporting means for said arm.

8. In a device of the class described, a revoluble shaft having atransverse slot, a chopper-carrying arm movable in said slot andradially adjustable with relation to the shaft, and spring supportingmeans for said arm.

4. In a device of the class described, a revoluble shaft, achoppercarrying arm conneeted with and radially disposed with rela tionto said shaft, spring supporting means for said arm, and means foradjusting the tension of said spring.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a revolubleshaft, a choppercarrying arm carried by and radially adjustable withrelation to said shaft, a flat spring secured to the shaft andconnectedat its free end to the arm, and means for compressing said spring in thedirection of the shaft to regulate the outward tension thereof.

6. The combination, with a revoluble shaft and a chopping-arm carriedthereby and radially adjustable with relation to said shaft, of a springsecured to said shaft, and connected at its free end to said arm, anadjusting-sleeve on said shaft and engaging said spring, for the purposeset forth, and a lever to operate said adjusting-sleeve, substantiallyas described.

7. In a machine of the class described, a framecomprising front and rearsections and arch-bars connecting said sections together, an axle-shaftjournaled in the front section, traction-Wheels upon said axle, alongitudinally-disposed shaft having a bearing in the rear section and amovable bearing in the front section, gearing connecting said shaft Withthe axle-shaft, and a spring-supported chopping element connectedadjustably with 5 said shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

THOMAS SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. Ross OoLHoUN, G. WARRENER.

